Lake Skadar: The Fisherman

Lake Skadar is one of Europe’s wild wonders and among the continent’s most iconic wetland areas.

Nestled between Montenegro and Albania, it is the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula and one of the largest bird reserves in Europe. The Montenegrin side is protected as a national park and the Albanian side is a managed nature reserve. Lake Skadar fishing is both a source of income for the locals and a valued pastime for locals and visitors alike. Recently, overfishing and destructive fishing practices have led to a decrease in fish stocks. Fishermen and local authorities must now work together to ensure the future of this vital resource.

The Albanian system of protected areas is facing numerous challenges. The project “Strengthening capacity in National Nature Protection – preparation for Natura 2000 network”—project NaturAL for short—was started to help address issues that pose a serious threat to the natural environment. Lake Skadar (known as Lake Shkodra in Albania) was selected by the project as one of five priority protected areas.

We teamed up with NaturAL to produce two videos to spread awareness of the Lake Skadar region; this is the first of those videos. We follow a local fisherman from Lake Skadar as he goes about his daily activities. The video highlights the work being done by NaturAL and other partners on a local level. Lake Skadar’s fishermen work with local organizations to protect the Lake Skadar ecosystem, and improve Lake Skadar fishing, while providing for themselves and their families.